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[shenanigan]

So I see that my top choice scheduled campus interviews today.  For those SC members out there: do campus invites usually go out on the same day, or do schools ever make calls to candidates over two or more days? 

[pink_]

I don't think there is any way to know this.
At my school, they try to call people all at the same time, but that doesn't always work out for a variety of reasons.
Hang in there!

[iomhaigh]

I know this is not a satisfying answer, but it depends.  We've charged different search committee members with different calls, which could be on different days.  I've also been places where we have to schedule one (firm dates set) before we were allowed to call the next one.  The chair at the latter school was a little bit of a micro-manager/obsessive planner.  I was called by someone who then spent 45 minutes on the phone with me during that "please come to campus" phone call.  If she was trying to call 6 people that day and was that chatty with all of them....

Maybe others will have less wacky experiences of orderly calling, for they do all lead more orderly and clean lives than I do.  (see the housecleaning thread.)

Good luck!

[shenanigan]

Thanks guys.  I will just try to make my peace with it.  Then if I miraculously get a call tomorrow, it will be a pleasant surprise. 

[seniorscholar]

Even when trying to make all the calls the same day, it generally happens that at least one of the candidates does not answer the phone, in which case we leave a message asking that person to call and arrange a campus interview (pretty unambiguous) -- and four days later the person e-mails to say s/he has accepted an offer elsewhere. So then we call the #4 person on the list. (And feel lucky that it was only four days -- you know, search committees have to wait for the phone to ring, just like candidates do!)

[trabb]

Keep in mind too that, especially at small schools and at schools facing a real funding crisis, they may bring candidates in one at a time.  If they're pleased with candidate one and if candidate one accepts the position, then they're finished - no need to see candidates two through five.  If candidate one tanks the interview or accepts elsewhere, they move on to campus two.

In my opinion, this is perhaps the most prudent way for committees responsibly to use limited budget resources while simultaneously being the absolute most hellish way of handling things as far as candidates are concerned.  I am referring, of course, to fields where there's an initial screening of ten-twelve people either by phone or at conferences.